In an effort to resolve the burden on users from possessing a confusing number of remote control devices, e.g., one each for a server, a personal video recorder (PVR), a digital video disk (DVD) player, a set-top box (STB), display, personal computer, etc., so-called universal remote controls have been provided to operate all of the components a user might have in a home network. As understood herein, programming a universal remote control can be problematic, requiring a user to enter manufacturer and device codes for each device sought to be controlled. Indeed, since some devices can use more than one signaling code, the user might have to experiment with multiple codes to determine which one works with a particular device. As recognized herein, it would be desirable to relieve the user of cumbersome and often confusing programming of a universal remote control or other RFID/NFC applications.